Tales of an Al Bhed Princess
by Rayne-Shadow Goddess
Summary: More and More craziness... Rikku's story as you've never heard it before! Chapter 8 up! plz R&R! u won't regret it... I don't think... Rikku Gippal fic. mostly, some TidusYuna
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I, in no way, own Final Fantasy, Square Enix, or these characters. Just to let you know...**

**Tales of an Al Bhed Princess**

**Prologue (7 years after FFX-2)**

"C'mon, Auntie Rikku! Tell us a story!"

Wow… It can be totally hard dealing with little kids…Who knew? How in Spira can Wakka and Lulu handle this!

"Yeah! Please Auntie Rikku! Plleeeeaaasse…"

I scowled at them. Turning to the older of the two (who is only 7) , I frowned and shook my head.

"Just look what you've done, Vidina! Now you've got Meiko acting like you! To think, she used to be sooo sweet."

He just stuck his tongue out at me and said, "No, she used to be annoying…"

Meiko glared at him meanly, which is actually totally cute, 'cuz she's only 4.

"Geez, you two kids… No wonder your parents needed a break…" I complained quietly. If you call a double dinner date a "break".

Vidina smirked. "Maybe we'll behave if you tell us a story…"

Does he take after his mother or what? Wakka's no where near that malicious… HEY! Malicious is a big word! Go me for remembering it! Wait, malicious is bad…

"Aw, c'mon! All my stories are _way_ boring…" I protested. HEY! Another big word!

Meiko gave me a confused look. "My mommy said that you had lots of adventures together. Tell us about those!"

Ya know, I really hate Yuna sometimes… Is there anything she doesn't tell this kid? Aha! That's it!

"I'm sure your mommy already told you all those stories dozens of times!" I replied. Like I have something to tell these kids anyways…

"Then tell us one of _your _stories, then. One that mommy won't know."

"I don't have any –"

"You're so full of it, Rikku!" Vidina interrupted.

"Hey, watch it, you!" I demanded. "Or I'll never baby-sit you again and you'll be stuck with Paine all the time..."

He instantly shut up. Smart kid, that one! No seven-year-old wants to be watched by someone as harsh and sarcastic as Paine. Meiko, however, still being 4, clearly didn't understand. At least she's optimistic…

"Just one story, Aunt Rikku, please…"

Oh, she's good! Ya know those faces that are pleading and happy and oh-so-adorable? Hard to resist, right? If the one wearing that face is your cousin's oh-so-adorable daughter, it's even harder.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Don't say I didn't warn you…"

Meiko hugged me, and then clapped in excitement. Vidina smirked yet again. I, meanwhile, grabbed a chair and pulled it to the center of the room. I then plopped into the seat and stared at those evil kids.

"Sit," I commanded, pointing to the floor. They obeyed grinning.

"All right, then! My story starts on the Celsius, just after Yunie and Tidus re-united .She was givin' him a tour of the airship, me following close behind…"

**Wassup! I'm totally new at this, so I'm sorry if you all hate me… This part really has nothing to do with the story, but I thought it was a good intro. Please review, tho, if I respond, it might take a while. I seriously hope you guys like it… I don't want to suck…**


	2. Auntie Rikku's Story

**Hiya! It's me again, with my disclaimer. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Square or Final Fantasy. Saddening, isn't it? These characters aren't mine…**

**Tales of an Al Bhed Princess**

**Chapter 1: "Auntie Rikku's" Story (just after Vegnagun "incident")**

Yuna was extremely busy telling Tidus the beginning of her story as they boarded the airship. They had spent a little over a week in Besaid, talking and such. She had, of course, told him her story, but now seemed like a good time to tell him about the basic job of a sphere hunter.

"… The Gullwings are sphere hunters, and sphere hunters are, well…This!" Yuna explained, spreading her arms to emphasize her point. They had just stepped out of the elevator and onto the bridge.

"Nice airship!" Tidus exclaimed happily. He was obviously impressed.

"Yeah, we have a pretty sweet set-up," Rikku commented from the bridge stairwell.

"I'll say! Look at this! These machina are incredible!" Tidus mused, poking at the random inventions around Shinra's old workspace.

"Compliments of our resident genius!" Rikku sang as she leapt off the platform to wear Yuna stood. She danced a little, like she always seemed to do, especially if she was excited. Then, suddenly, she stopped. "Well, not so resident anymore…" she added, remembering Shinra had gone to work on his "Farplane Energy Project".

Yuna rolled her eyes. "Rikku hasn't changed one bit…"

"So I see," Tidus replied, grinning. He stopped playing with the machina and faced the two cousins.

"Have to!" Rikku shouted. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yunie, you're such a meanie…"

"You're not helping your argument," Yuna pointed out, holding back the urge to laugh. She just wished Rikku hadn't taken her words so seriously. Still, she found her cousin's reaction comical. She bit her lip to keep from smiling.

Rikku, however, didn't find it funny. People had been telling her to "grow up" or "change" since her eighth birthday. When she said she had changed, they all just laughed, much like Yuna was now…

"Shut it, Yuna!" Rikku snapped. Yuna jumped back in surprise.

"Rikku, I-"

Rikku kept ranting. "Who are you to tell me if I've changed?" she asked.

Tidus, not wanting any part of this, turned back to a particularly interesting machina and began to tinker with it, even though he had no idea how to do anything useful with a machina.

Suddenly, there was the sound of the elevator door opening, followed by footsteps.

'Thank Yevon!' thought Tidus, relieved that the girls had suddenly stopped arguing.

"Brother's still not coming down," Buddy informed, halting Rikku's tantrum.

From her position behind Buddy, Paine added, "I can't even drag him away from that bar…"

Yuna knew how hard it was for Brother to accept that she loved Tidus, but this was ridiculous! He was seriously hurting himself…

"Drowning his sorrows?" Yuna asked out of concern.

"He called it 'wading'," Buddy offered. Brother had been in the cabin drinking and whining to Barkeep ever since Tidus and Yuna re-united. No one had been able to get him to stop…

Suddenly, Rikku completely forgot the prior argument and switched into "who cares about my idiot brother?" mode.

"If he wants to drink himself into an alcohol-induced coma, I say let 'im. It'll be all his fault! No guilt for us!"

"I'll go talk to him," Yuna volunteered. She _is _the good girl after all…"Buddy, can you get on the CommSpheres and start asking people up? I really want them to meet Tidus."

"I'm on it," Buddy replied, making his way to Shinra's old station.

Rikku jumped in the air. "I'll help with the inviting!" she proclaimed happily.

"I'll go with Yuna," Tidus said. He slung his arm around her. Yes, he does follow him everywhere.

Paine just sat on the staircase railing. "Well, I guess I'll be back-up then," she said in a bored tone.

As Yuna and Tidus stepped onto the elevator, they could her Rikku protesting.

"Nuh-uh! You can be third-in command inviter! Right after me and Buddy."

"I'd rather not…" Paine argued.

"C'mon, it'll be fun!"

"I doubt it…"

"Don't make me pull you down…"

"Yeah, right."

This was followed by a loud crashing sound and Paine shouting. Tidus glanced over his shoulder to see Rikku sitting on the floor scratching the back of her head. Paine was beginning to stand up, her body rigged with anger.

"RIKKU!"

Rikku screamed and jumped to her feet. She began to run around the bridge, with Paine in hot pursuit.

"Is it always like this?" Tidus asked Yuna as they stepped into the elevator. She smiled warmly and nodded.

"Well, you never get bored," she replied as the doors closed.

The yelling girls could still be heard from the cabin.

"Get back here, Rikku!" Paine yelled, sword now in hand. This game of cat and mouse had been going on for nearly twenty minutes.

Rikku, being _so _smart and all, stopped running and turned to face Paine. She was walking towards her, slowly and calmly, rage burning in her red eyes.

"You wouldn't hurt me," Rikku stated with confidence. Paine kept walking towards her. "Would you?" she asked, obvious fear in her voice.

Buddy ignored the increasingly annoying fight in the background. This was totally ridiculous! Why would people even _want _to come if they saw what was happening in the background? Simple, you told them Yuna _needed_ them to come.

"Right, be there to pick you up shortly," Buddy responded.

"See you then," Nooj replied before his image flickered away.

Buddy grinned. So far he had convinced both Baralai and Nooj to come up. Lucil and Elma, of course, were dying to come, too. How could he refuse? He had even persuaded Kimarhi to leave his Elder duties for a few hours. Le Blanc said she would be there with Logos and Ormi, which was weird, since they hadn't been invited… Some of the other people they had met couldn't make it, or just weren't wanted here. So the only person left was…

"Hey, I heard the Gullwings are throwin' a party. So, uh, where's my invite?"

"Hello Gippal," Buddy said, rolling his eyes. "I was just about to call you, although this really isn't a party…"

"Not until I get there at least. I can't believe you called Baralai first, though. He couldn't party to save his life. I bet I was the last person, huh?" Gippal continued, totally disregarding what Buddy was trying to say.

"Sorry," Buddy defended, "I was just calling whoever popped into my head. Wait, how'd you know about this anyway?"

Gippal smirked and began a completely false explanation. "Well, I set up this camera in the cabin and-"

"Never mind, I don't wanna know," Buddy interrupted.

Suddenly, Rikku shouted in surprise. "Owie!" she screamed. "Paine, that hurts!"

"Well, it'll teach you not to pull me down stairs, won't it?"

Then, out of no where, the Al-Bhed girl ran forward and tackled Paine. Due to their location, Buddy and Gippal could see the whole thing. They just stared as the two girls fought each other.

"Five gil on Paine," Buddy mumbled under his breath. This was so pointless…

Gippal, shockingly enough, didn't want to see two women rolling around beating each other senseless. Well, at least not two of his friends, anyway.

"Heya, Cid's Girl?" he asked over the sounds of the fight. Rikku instantly stopped trying to hurt Paine and stared at the screen. She had forgotten that people were watching.

"Why are ya tryin' to kill good old Dr. P.?" he continued.

Rikku giggled nervously. "Would you believe me if I said I forgot?" she asked, as she stood and helped Paine to her feet.

"You're the only person in the world I'd believe that from," he replied. "Anyways, since you invited me last, you guys will pick me up first, right Buddy?"

Before Buddy could protest, the CommSphere disconnected.

"Heh, sorry," Rikku offered to Paine. She ignored this though.

"He'll never change, will he?"

Buddy shook his head, and Rikku replied, "Nope! He'll always be his big, goofy, meanie self!"

Paine rolled her eyes. 'She'll never change either. I bet if he asked her to, she'd jump off the summit of Mt. Gagazet…'

And she says she doesn't have a crush on him…

**Okay, so this is Rikku's story. Obviously, it's not her POV anymore…**

**Sorry if the people seem a bit out of character. I'm workin' on it, I promise. Don't worry; it'll start getting good soon. And to all you Rikku fans, I'm sorry about the "she's so smart" comment. Don't be mad. It wasn't meant to be offensive.**

**Oh, and Icewolf9, thanks for the hint on the anonymous review thing. I had no idea what I was doing…**

**_Rayne-Shadow Goddess_ **


	3. One Carazy Party

**_Okay… this is quite possibly the last time you will see a disclaimer, so remember it._**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story. Well, except the story itself…_**

**Tales of an Al Bhed Princess**

**Chapter 2: One Ca-razy Party!**

Gippal sat on the bridge outside of Djose Temple waiting for the Celsius to come pick him up. He was actually looking forward to going to this "party". He smirked to himself. Sometimes he wondered why he gave everyone a hard time. Most of the time, though, he just didn't care. He had always been thatway, and he knew that he always would be.

'Wonder how it is that you can be inviting all these people up and _not_ call it a party…' he thought to himself. These people were all crazy. He would have loved to say that Rikku was the craziest, but that would be a lie. Brother was definitely crazier than her. And, also, much less attractive…

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a familiar voice interrupted Gippal's completely random thoughts.

"Bet you're tired of waiting, huh?" he heard the very girl he was thinking about call.

He looked up and saw the Celsius sitting not too far away. How could he have missed that? I mean, the thing is HUGE!

"You know I hate waiting, Cid's Girl," he replied as he hopped off the railing.

"And you know I hate being called Cid's Girl, so I guess this makes us even."

Gippal smiled at her. He couldn't help it; she was so easy to pick on. She almost _always _over reacted. Every time he had to hold back the urge to laugh. This time, though, it was different. She hadn't gone completely nuts. She hadn't even whined about actually having a name. Nothing but, _'…I guess this makes us even…'._

"Chill out there, Cid's Girl. I didn't mean to offend you," Gippal said with a sound of something almost like regret in his voice.

Then he noticed that Rikku had already started walking to the Celsius without him. He ran to catch up; afraid she might just leave him there on that bridge. Honestly, he was glad the Gullwings were throwing this… whatever it was. All he had been doing after giving his part of Nooj and Baralai's speech, he had been nothing but sit around in the temple with nothing to do. No interviews, no machina, nothing. Sure, it had only been a week, but he hated waiting…

"Gippal, I have a question," Rikku said, turning to look at Gippal.

"Then ask it," he replied.

She glared at him, knowing full well he would just smirk at her, (which he did) and continued with her question.

"Why do you never call me by my real name? I mean, everyone else you gave a stupid nickname to is only called that name sometimes…"

"They're not as fun to mess with as you," he offered as his reason. He couldn't really tell her…

They started up the ramp. What was she to think of Gippal's answer? He had said it so quickly.

"Nuh-uh. I don't buy that for a second. Tell me the truth," she commanded.

Gippal put on his best confused face. "That…was the truth," he said, pretending to not know what's going on.

"You're lying," Rikku stated as they stepped into the elevator.

"Why would I lie to you?"

She offered up some options. "'Cuz you hate me? 'Cuz you know I'll hurt you for telling the truth?"

"'Cuz I just don't want you to know!" Gippal yelled.

Rikku backed away because of his outburst. When he looked at her, he could see her fear.

"Sorry…" she whispered. The elevator had just reached the bridge.

"Hey, don't be. It's my fault anyways," Gippal said. He placed his hand on her shoulder as the door opened. He flashed her a warm smile. "Now let's try to be happy, alright?"

Without waiting for her response, he walked out the door, leaving her standing in the elevator alone, blushing.

Yuna had finally gotten Brother to calm down some. It had taken her the entire trip from Besaid to Djose. This isn't very long, if you think about it, seeing as how they're in an airship, but she _was _Yuna, and he _was_ Brother…

"We need you in a good mod right now," Yuna was saying. "We can't have an honorary Gullwings-style get together if our leader is being so miserable."

"We are… having a party?" Brother asked. This seemed to cheer him up greatly.

"Erm, kinda," Yuna said. She had told Tidus to go sit on one of the beds above. She knew his presence would only make Brother worse. So how was she to tell him that this whole "party" was because of him?

"Who's coming?" Brother asked, growing increasingly excited.

As if to answer his question, Buddy's voice crackled these words over the intercom: "Gippal just got here Yuna. Only eight more to go…"

"Thanks Buddy!" Yuna said sweetly. Brother, however, was once again unhappy.

"Gippal! Dryd kuut vun hudrehk beala uk lnyp!" ("Gippal! That good for nothing piece of crap!")

Yuna, having no idea what he said, but doubting it was a good thing seeing as how he hated Gippal and sounded angry, was instantly trying to calm him down again.

"Hey, hey, Brother? How about you get to chose where we have the party then, huh?" she suggested.

Brother was lost in thought for a moment before shouting," THE DECK!"

Yuna smiled. "Then you tell everyone to go up to the deck," she suggested. He nodded and walked (if you could even call it walking) drunkenly to the elevator.

"You can come down now," she called. Tidus jumped from the upper level and landed almost silently next to his love.

"Should I be afraid of this Gippal guy?" Tidus asked. After hearing (but not really understanding) Brother's reaction, he had grown a little afraid.

"Nah, Brother just hates Gippal 'cuz Rikku totally loves him…" Yuna answered, smiling.

'Just like he hates me 'cuz I'm the one you chose...' he thought to himself. This was immediately followed by the thought that Brother liking Yuna that much was gross, since they're cousins and all.

After programming the auto-pilot to run it's course to pick up the guests, Buddy headed off to the deck where Brother, Yuna, Tidus, and Paine (for "security" reasons cough Brother going crazy cough.) were already waiting.

Rikku had offered to get drinks from the cabin. This was the excuse she came up with when Yuna and Tidus, trying to get to the deck, called the elevator and found her inside. She had been frozen there, blushing, for well over ten minutes.

Gippal had gone to the engine room to stare in awe at the wonderful machina. When they had given him a lift back to Djose after destroying Vegnagun, Rikku had insisted that he stay in the cabin. She had said he was still hurt (although he had used enough potions to make him pain-free for three days) and that he needed to rest. So he was now staring in awe at the wonderful machina…

All of them were apparently too busy to notice that they were being followed by three small airships with just one thing in mind…

**_Well, there you go, another chapter to my story. Yes, I know, you're all dying to know what happens. Well, maybe you aren't… but I'll update soon anyways just in case. This is gunna be so cool…_**

**_Ria-baalinda: I'm glad to hear you think my story's good. It's just something I started 'cuz I was bored, and it turned out to be pretty nifty! (I know, geeky, aren't I?"_**

**_Icewolf9: Yes, this will end up being a Rikku/Gippal fic. I just haven't gotten that far yet. They're such a cute couple, I love them so much. It's comin'. Don't worry._**

**_Rayne-ShadowGoddess_**


	4. The Party Continues

**Wow, I update alot, don't I?**

**Tales of an Al Bhed Princess**

**Chapter 3: The Party Continues…**

Barkeep wouldn't let Rikku take anything out of the cabin. No matter how much she pleaded, he would always refuse. His first argument was that he was afraid of drunk driving.

"We're on auto pilot, Barkeep," Rikku answered reassuringly, "so fork it over."

"Yoo're shtill too young to drink, Mish Rikkoo," Barkeep protested further.

"The others aren't, though, and we're throwing a party. We need drinks!" Rikku complained. 'He has to give in,' she thought as she flashed him her affection winning pouting face. No one had refused it before…

"I'm shorry Mish Rikkoo, but I jusht can't allow it," Barkeep replied.

Rikku couldn't believe it. He had turned down her face. Her perfectly designed to get anything she wanted face had been rejected. This was unbelievable. 'Must not work on Hypellos…' she thought to herself.

"Fine, then. Can I rest, or am I too young to do that too?" she questioned.

"Of courshe not… Yoo can rest, but won't yoo mish the party?" he asked, confused.

"It's… not really a party, Barkeep. Besides, I have a lot to think about. I'm not in the partying mood," she replied, staring down at the counter. She walked sluggishly towards the stairs to make sure he thought that she was tired.

"Shleep tight…?" he called, which, for some reason, was worded like a question.

"Thanks, Barkeep," Rikku said softly as she walked up the stairs. She sat on the nearest bed she could find and closed her eyes. 'Why do I always act like such a nerd around you, Gippal? It can't be that I like you… not after all that…' She was growing really tired, now, so she laid all the way down.

'Not after all that…'

* * *

"Where's Gippal and Rikku?" Paine asked after nearly twenty minutes of waiting. Not only did she not really need all these people on the airship, but for some of those people to be on the airship and _not _show up for the original purpose of being there was just annoying.

"Rikku said she would get drinks, maybe he went to help her," Yuna called from where she was perched at the front of the airship.

"Knowing Gippal, he's probably not helping, just staring down her shirt…" Paine added. She knew him pretty well, although she did often over-exaggerate about his pervertedness

Both Yuna and Brother turned and stared at her in shock. She just shrugged. It seemed like something that could happen. Brother had begun mumbling something in Al Bhed about Gippal and his damned perverted habits. (Weird that he's talking about perverted habits, huh?)

"Would he really do that?" Yuna asked. Tidus was now looking at Paine, too. He really didn't need for Yuna to freak out because some random guy was looking at her cousin.

Paine shrugged again. "Honestly, it isn't likely that he's done staring at the engine. I give him at least ten more minutes of that before he tries to stare at anything else…"

"That's it, I'm going to get her," Yuna said in worry and anger. No one was going to take advantage of her younger cousin. But when she stood up, she noticed something. Something a little… off. She froze in her place and stared at the three small ship's following them.

"Yuna…?" Tidus asked. Worried by her actions, he decided to follow her gaze.

"Um, guys, you have any weapons?" he asked as the ships sped towards them.

"Yeah…why?" Paine asked. "You weren't planning on going after Gippal, were you? 'Cuz I might have over exaggerated."

"Not that," Tidus replied. "I think we have un-invited guests…"

"You mean Le Blanc?" Buddy asked. They hadn't landed anywhere yet, and Yuna had decided to go back to Besaid to pick up Wakka, Lulu, and Vidina first. He was beginning to fear for the new guy's mental health…

Suddenly, six guys in masks began climbing up the side of the ship. Each one was carrying a small weapon, like a pistol or a dagger.

"I don't think that's what he means…" Yuna said, pointing at the first man to make it to the top. Two more then climbed up on either side of him. The next three stood behind the first. The men looked at the group of people and realized that what they were looking for wasn't there.

"Who are you assholes?" Paine shouted as she reached for her sword. It had been lying on the ground next to her.

The first man spoke in a deep soothing voice," We're not here for you… if you just step aside we'll—"

"Screw that! Why are you here?" Paine asked. She was ready to seriously hurt these jerks.

The man in the front smirked. "You three handle this, I've got someone to find…" With that, he and two of the others ran past the un-expecting people and into the elevator. Yuna ran to the doors, but the invaders had jammed them shut. As the other three men began to circle around them, all Yuna could think was: 'I hope Rikku's okay…'

* * *

_A flash of lightning, a crying girl, and the sand. That was all that Rikku could remember. Flashes of images that she had wished had never been brought back. The images, however, were only so bad compared to the words that accompanied them._

_"Forget everything about me. I can't exist anymore. I'm sorry, I can't explain why, but you have to…"_

Rikku's eyes shot open as she sat up and panted for breath. Why had she been dreaming about that? She could hardly remember anything from that moment, she had indeed forgotten, but something brought it back…

She looked at a nearby clock. She was surprised to find that she had been asleep for a full thirty minutes. 'The others are probably wondering where the drinks are...' she thought sleepily.

"Hey, Barkeep, anyone come in here complaining about lack of beverage?" Rikku called. No reply…

"Barkeep? Hello?"

Feeling a bit anxious, Rikku stood and stared down at the bar. Barkeep was nowhere in sight. Was he hiding from her? Suddenly, she heard the cabin door open. A single masked man walked in. Rikku gasped and froze in terror. What was going on?

Hearing the noise, the man looked up at where Rikku was standing. She instantly wanted to run, but her body wouldn't obey. The man just stared at her, and then spoke two simple words into his headset communicator: "Found her…"

Rikku's heart was racing. She kept her eyes on the man as, slowly, he walked closer to the stairs. She noticed that his hand was resting on the Hollister of a gun. She wanted so badly to scream, to run, to help her friends. But she had the horrible feeling that her friends were already dead. It was way to quiet. The only sound was that of the masked man's footsteps growing nearer and nearer…

As the man reached the top of the stairwell, Rikku felt her fear rising. She backed away until she was standing next to an end table. Acting on an impulse, she grabbed the vase sitting on the table and threw it at the man. He covered his face to keep the glass from stabbing his eyes. Rikku took this opportunity to run toward the edge of the upper level. If she jumped off here, she would be able to get to the door…

That's when she saw two others in the doorway. One of them had his gun raised and aimed straight at her. She jumped to the floor just as he fired. Rikku could hear they're footsteps as they ran for the stairs.

The sound of a gun loading… Rikku whipped her head around to see the first man aiming his weapon at her now, anger in his eyes. She rolled under the nearest bed to avoid the second bullet. She searched for a weapon or some kind of defense. What she found was a trap door…

Having no other ideas, Rikku opened the door and crawled in as quickly as she could. She found herself in a tiny crawl space leading in only one direction. She closed the door above her and went through the space as fast as she could.

From above she heard a loud crash, probably someone tipping the bed. She pushed herself to go faster still. The voices sounded so distant, but she could still hear.

"Where'd she go?" asked one man with a booming voice.

A smarter one must have found the door, because Rikku heard a calmer voice saying, "Smarter than I thought she'd be… Apex, follow her. We'll search the rest of the ship."

"Yes, sir," said a third voice, belonging to the one called Apex.

Rikku heard the door opening and someone jumping in. She looked back, just to make sure he wasn't directly behind her. Then she felt herself falling down a small hole.

Rikku felt pain where her body had hit the hard ground. There was another path, leading to some sort of door. Rikku ignored her pain and went forward, hoping that she had found an escape…

Gippal was about to leave the engine room and join the others when he heard the sound. This particular sound was something like rats in the walls or animals in the duct work. He shrugged it off and began walking away. That's when he heard a _different _sound. This time, it was the sound of pounding on metal.

"Hello?" he called in confusion. More pounding…

Gippal followed the noise, which was coming from the bottom of a small stairwell in the engine room. It was so close now. What was causing it? 'Maybe they're ship's haunted…' he thought to himself sarcastically. Just to be safe though…

"Anybody here?" he called. This time he heard a new sound, a gasp. A rather familiar gasp, actually. It was coming from the wall straight ahead.

'Walls don't gasp, so what's going on?' he thought. He looked at the wall and saw a small panel. Was someone in there?

"If someone's there, it's all right," he said." I won't hurt you for spying on me and all my sexiness…"

"Gippal!" a voice whispered through the wall.

"What, Cid's Girl? What are you doing in there?" he asked.

"No time," Rikku said, fear everywhere in her voice, "Just help me open this, would ya?"

"Um…sure," Gippal replied, unsure of what to say. He wrapped his fingers around the side he figure was the opening and pulled. 'Dude, this is tough,' he thought to himself as he yanked at it with all his strength.

He heard Rikku gasp and wondered what was going on. "Hurry, Gippal, please…" she begged, sounding like she was about to cry.

"Don't worry, Cid's Girl, I've almost—"the door swung open with on e final tug. "GOT IT!" he finished.

Rikku began to crawl out when suddenly something grabbed her ankle and pulled her backwards. She grabbed the edge of the opening and screamed in pain and surprise.

Gippal jumped back in shock. 'What the hell is going on?' he thought as he watched the Al Bhed girl be dragged back into the tunnel. Then, finally realizing something was horribly wrong, he grabbed Rikku's wrist and tried to pull her forward.

It took Rikku a moment to realize that Gippal was trying to help. She was so grateful he was there, or else she probably wouldn't make it… But she didn't have time for that now. She glanced back at this Apex guy and, with her free foot, kicked him as hard as she could in the face. She went flying forward as he dropped her ankle. She landed right on top of Gippal.

Standing up quickly (and trying not to blush!) Rikku Pulled Gippal to his feet and ran up the stairs.

"What the HELL is going on?" Gippal shouted as they rounded the corner and headed up more stairs.

"No time, we just have to get out of here…" Rikku replied.

The entryway opened before they got there and two men holding guns stood there, aiming at the young Al Bheds. They shot at Rikku, who was lucky that Gippal had pushed her out of the way in time. She regained her footing and ran past them before they could reload and shoot again. Gippal was right behind her.

Once they were both in the elevator, Rikku pressed a series of buttons that would take them to the bridge.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Gippal urged as Rikku kept typing.

"I'm trying…" she said, frustration and fear flowing from her voice.

The two men turned around and fired again. Rikku covered her head and ducked while Gippal hid around a corner. The two men began to run toward the elevator, ready to shoot once again. Then, suddenly, the doors closed and the elevator headed up to momentary safety.

Rikku was gasping for breath. Gippal had slid to the floor and was now staring at her. He had never seen someone that scared in his life. Not even in the Den of Woe…

"You okay?" he asked kindly. She just shook her head in reply.

"Do you know what's happening?" he asked instead. She shook her head again. That's when he noticed she was crying.

"Cid's Girl…" he whispered, trying to comfort her. But when she looked at him, he realized there was nothing to say.

The door opened after just a few seconds of silence. Rikku walked out of the elevator and onto the bridge.

"Come on, we have to find out what's going on."

With that, she walked over to the control center, Gippal following close behind.

"Since when were we going to the Calm Lands?" Rikku asked looking at where the auto pilot was set. She also noticed that the speed levels were higher and that they were over Mt. Gagazet, which was nowhere near Besaid, where they used to be headed. Those jerks had even changed the passwords and controls so that Rikku couldn't change the settings.

'Those jerks are pretty good…' she thought as she turned to Gippal and shrugged. He had successfully cut off the elevator's power, so they would be safe for now.

"So what do we do?" he asked. There was no way out of here…

"We'd have to jump…" she answered, staring out at how far away the land was.

"You're joking, right?" Gippal said bluntly. She shrugged again as she looked down.

"It's the only way…" Rikku replied. Her voice was so flat and dull. This was not the same Rikku everyone knew and loved…

After a minute of complete silence, Gippal gave his response.

"Let's do it…"

**Oooo, scary! Anyways, this is where it get's interasting. What's gunna happen next? Well, I'm not really sure, but I'll know soon. Keep on readin'!**

**_Rayne-Shadow Goddess_**

**Jinx: Yay! You reviewed! Glad you like it! Hope this was fast enough, you impatient little psycho...**


	5. Beginings

**_Yay! I have fans! ahem anyways, this update is dedicated to you all! I'm so glad you like it!_**

**_Here ya go! )_**

**Tales of an Al Bhed Princess**

**Chapter 4: Beginnings of the Painful Sort**

Rikku blinked in disbelief. She stared at Gippal like he was a complete idiot. 'Well, he _is _pretty much the stupidest person I've ever seen…' she thought to herself. Then she thought: '_Liar! You're stupider than him!_', which was followed by: '**You're both stupid. Stupidest isn't even an actual word in most people's opinions!**'.

'Um, guys, we have to get out of here…' Rikku reminded her own thoughts. She was so confused. She almost never argued with herself. So why now, in a time of crisis, why imagine little versions of yourself verbally sparring with each other?

'_I knew you hated me!_' one of the mini-Rikkus screamed as she faded away.

'**Oh, do shut up!**' the other yelled before disappearing as well.

'This is just too weird… (Not to mention totally random!)' Rikku thought. She had no idea of the strange looks that had been crossing her face during the mini war.

Gippal, on the other hand, noticed. He wasn't sure what had been going on. First, she was looking at him like he was totally dumb. Then she got this look like she was arguing with her brother or something. Then she just looked extremely angry. He probably would have burst out laughing had the current situation been happier.

"You okay in there, Cid's Girl?" he asked, waving a hand in front of her face. Rikku's eyes widened as she was brought back into reality. When the first thing she saw was a very confused Gippal standing in front of her, she nearly screamed.

"What do you want?" she said instead.

"I want to know what was going on in that weird little brain of yours," he responded, raising a brow.

"It's not little!" Rikku defended. She punched Gippal in the arm for being so cruel to her.

"Easy, Cid's Girl, I just wanted to know if you guys had any parachutes or somethin'," Gippal said, rubbing his arm. "Did you have to hit me?"

Rikku ignored his second question, and instead answered his first. "Why would Brother be prepared for anything? Of course we don't have parachutes."

Gippal frowned. "Okay, so, answer me this, if you don't have parachutes, _why _did you recommend jumping off the ship?"

"Well…" Rikku tried to think of something other than "Wouldn't it be fun?". So she came up with, "Why not? Brother does it all the time!"

"So, that makes it a good idea?" Gippal thought skeptically.

"No, that makes it an awful idea, but it's the only one we've got. Besides, you already agreed…"

Gippal was taken aback by Rikku's answer. He _had_ agreed, hadn't he? Why would he agree to an awful plan like that? '_You know you can't resist that,_' he thought as he looked at the triumphantly grinning Rikku. 'You jus watch me resist that.'

"Well, do you have anything that would work as a parachute, then?" he asked. He didn't even want to think about what his mind was hinting at. It was just too wrong to handle.

"We have sheets…" she replied. Her answer was so stupid. She immediately smacked herself mentally for saying that. Gippal actually _did _smack himself on the forehead. Was this really the only person he had to work with?

"Never mind, we'll just jump," he said. "You have some potions and stuff, right? Ya' know, just in case…"

"Only a few, but I could go steel some from the cabin before we head up to the deck," Rikku answered.

"Why would we go to the deck?" Gippal asked. Now it was his turn to be humiliated by saying something stupid.

"To… jump off?" Rikku replied. If she was losing her mind, and he was losing his, how where they supposed to escape?

"Couldn't we just jump off here?" he asked. Yet another stupid question…

"Gippal, the protective shield is on, and I no longer have the code. How are we supposed to jump through a freaking force field?" Her voice was so full of disdain and sarcasm that even Paine might have been shocked by the harshness of the sound.

Gippal almost blushed he was so embarrassed. But his male ego wouldn't allow him to do that. So he let all of his feelings out with one simple word: "Oh."

Rikku smiled at him. To think, just a few minutes ago she was fearing for her life. Now, she was actually smiling. He had made it all go away. He had saved her, though she would never let him know it. Things were just like they used to be…

The _whooshing _sound of power being turned on interrupted her happiness. She and Gippal both stared at the elevator, panicking.

"Do you think that was them?" she asked, stepping closer to Gippal for protection.

"Not a doubt in my mind it was them…"he replied. How were they going to do this, those guys were probably already in the elevator… Unless it took all three of them to reboot the power…

You see, there are a lot of things that Gippal can't do. There are a lot of things he doesn't know. Machina, though, he did know, and he could use. Some people said he alone could do things that it would take four people to do otherwise. So there was a chance that they could get to the elevator first.

"Run," he said, grabbing Rikku's arm and pulling him behind her. She just followed, assuming he had an idea. When they reached the elevator, the first thing he did was push the call button.

"What are you doing? You'll lead them right to us!" she shouted.

"No, I won't…" he said with confidence. The door slid open. Gippal half expected to see those men in there, guns raised, and put a bullet through his head. Nothing happened. He smiled at Rikku, who had just barely begun to lift her head and open her eyes.

He pulled her in. "Take us to the deck," he demanded.

"What about the-"Rikku began to ask, thinking back to the potion issue.

"No time." Gippal interrupted.

Rikku frowned. 'He's so mean when he's panicked…' she thought as she started the elevator and directed it to the deck. That's when she remembered about the party. The others would be there. They could help them get rid of these guys. They could be safe…

But safety wasn't what she found. When the door opened, when Rikku ran out, she didn't see the sight she wanted. She didn't see Yuna and Tidus sitting together staring at the sky. She didn't see Paine glaring at Buddy and Brother as they talked about picking up chicks. She didn't see Barkeep doing… whatever he did. She didn't see anything.

No one was there.

She stopped in her tracks as all her hopes were instantly dashed away. She was so sad that her friends weren't here. Maybe they weren't even alive… Rikku fell to her knees. She was so sad that her fear was gone. But that sadness turned into anger. She clutched her daggers tight. These men were going to pay…

Gippal, on the other hand, was expecting total gore. He was glad that wasn't what they found. He wondered what Rikku had expected, because what she saw was obviously not the right image.

When he saw her fall to her knees, he felt this pain in his heart. He thought back to when they were a couple, and he could have numbed all her pain. He could have held her and told her that it would all be better. He knew that he couldn't do that anymore…

Rikku was crying now, shaking violently with each breath she took. 'I'll make them pay…' she thought angrily. 'I'll make them pay for all this.' Suddenly, she felt someone's arm around her waist. She smiled slightly, glad that Gippal was there with her, if no one else was.

But then, who was that shouting in the background? That familiar voice, the same one that saved her before…

That's when she realized that Gippal wasn't the one picking her up. He was the one shouting. He was the one telling her to run.

He was being restrained by two really big guys. No matter how much he struggled, these guys just wouldn't let up. Now Rikku was being taken by two others, while one spoke into his communicator, and another just sat by, gun in hand, ready to fire.

Finally, Gippal was tired of being held back. He kicked one of the men in the back of his knee, causing him to fall instantly. The other guy held a dagger to Gippal's throat. This guy wasn't very smart, though. You see, he had a total of two daggers. He was only holding one…

Gippal grabbed the second dagger and stabbed it into the guy's arm. Shocked and in pain, he foolishly let Gippal go. He ran to go help Rikku, who wasn't doing so hot herself.

Rikku was kicking and screaming as the two men tried to hold her down. She was slashing away with her daggers, but none of the hits connected. She had heard screams and figured that she had lost one more friend, and lost the bulk of her focus. As she thrashed around, she could see someone running towards her. 'Gippal!' she thought in excitement when she saw he wasn't dead. She kicked one of the men in the "danger zone" and cut the other's chest all in one swift movement.

The first man let go of her instantly, but the second kept fighting. Rikku wrapped her arms around the guy and closed her eyes. 'Please forgive me…' she thought as she pounded her fists against the man, stabbing both her blades into him in the process. His eyes opened wide and instantly turned glossy and far away. Blood came from his open mouth as he fell.

"Don't…ever… hurt me or my friends…" she said through clenched teeth.

Rikku stood up and pulled her daggers from her victim's flesh. Suddenly she felt this horrible pain in her chest. She looked down and saw the wound. It was no where near her heart, so she knew she would live, but that didn't stop the pain.

'Why didn't I hear the gunshot?' she thought as blackness began to take over. She fell silently to the floor. 'Why didn't I…'

Rikku didn't feel it when the man picked her up. She didn't hear all the yelling and screaming. Nor did she feel his body shake as he ran as fast as he could toward the edge of the ship. And she didn't feel the impact of the landing…

**_Sorry, 'nother cliffy... I bet you guys just hate that. Well, lucky for you I'm double posting. Aren't you proud of me? Just a warning, the next chapter is pretty much random fluff and sarcasm, but it will help you understand the rest of the story to come..._**

**_Shadray: Yes, I can't help it. I'm a total review whore... You should see some of my friends... anyways, glad you like. I did finally review your story. I hope you're happy... (not trying to sound mean)_**

**_Mistay: Yay! My second best friend to read and actually like it. One question, tho: Why'd you let Mr. Bacon Bits review? He's annoying and I wish he never read my story... stupid fat pig._**

**_Kingleby: I'm so glad you thinkI'm funny! If it weren't for the humor, my story would be too serious. My characters are in character? That's good. I'm not sure about this chappie tho... By the way, I started reading 'Words Left Unspoken'. I love it! I haven't reviewed yet, but it's comin'! Who knew I'd be the fan of a fan?_**

**_Icewolf9: I lurve that you lurve my story! Thanx fer bein' a fan! My first fan, actually. Wow, I owe you alot... huggles Icewolf9 I took your quizzes, too. Needless 2 say, I'm insane..._**


	6. Remembrance

**_Okay, so nit exactly a double post... there was about 30 min. in between. (I was eating dinner)_**

****

**Tales of an Al Bhed Princess**

**Chapter 5: Remembrance**

The first thing Yuna felt was the cold. She opened her eyes in shock, trying to gasp for air. What she got was water…

'What happened?' she thought as she swam the short distance to the surface. Her muscles were sore and her back stung. She was in the middle of the ocean. There were probably fiends underneath her, watching her, waiting to attack.

Her head broke through the barrier the water had created. Yuna gasped for breath. She didn't understand why she was here; let alone how she got here. All she remembered was the sky. She was so close to that sky… and her friends…

Her friends! Now she remembered. Yuna looked around frantically, turning this way and that, trying to find her friends. She didn't see anything. No one was there, and she was stuck in the middle of the ocean, probably somewhere between Kilika and Besaid.

Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. 'What did they want?' she asked herself. 'Why did they have to do this to us? The Calm was supposed to last forever this time.'

Thinking of nothing but her hatred for these intruders, and the sorrow she felt from being torn from her friends, Yuna began to swim. She had no idea where she was headed, but she knew she couldn't stay out in the sea forever.

'What was it he said to me, before he threw me off?' she pondered sadly.

"_Don't you dare hurt my friends!" Yuna shouted as one of the masked culprits grabbed her from behind._

"_Now, now, ma' lady," the man said all too calmly for comfort, "We didn't come here to hurt anyone…"_

"_Then why did you come?" she asked in disgust. She hated liars, villains, and traitors above all else. These guys were at least two of those things…_

"_We came looking for someone… someone very important. We want her to come with us…"_

"_I'll never go with you!" Yuna shouted, trying to break the man's grip._

"_Who said anything about you?" the man asked, chuckling slightly. "You may be the High Summoner, but you're no Princess…"_

"_Spira doesn't have a princess," Yuna said firmly._

"_But the Al Bhed do…" he leaned forward an whispered in her ear._

_At that moment she whirled around and broke free, she pointed her guns at the man, her body surging with rage._

"_You will go nowhere near my cousin," she hissed._

_The man just smiled evilly and laughed._

"_Foolish woman, your efforts have all been in vain." _

_Then he reached out and pushed her backwards. Yuna grabbed on to the edge of the ship, struggling to climb back up. That's when she saw the man lean over her and stare into her eyes. He grabbed both of her wrists and pulled her away from the ship, dangling her in the air._

"_The Calm will never come," he said cruelly, before letting her go. The sound of her screaming as she fell put a twisted grin on the man's lips._

'I'm no princess…' Yuna thought to herself. 'Of course I'm not. There are no princesses anymore. None at all. Rikku can't be a princess, either. The Al Bhed don't believe in hierarchy.'

But she was the leader's daughter… 'Does that make her their princess?' Yuna stopped swimming to catch her breath. She couldn't tell how far she'd traveled. But when she looked back, the distance wasn't what her focus was on. It was on the body…

Yuna swam over as fast as she could. Was it one of her friends? Was the person still alive? She found both answers to be yes.

Tidus was floating there, unconscious, but living none the less. Yuna was so happy to see him. Every time she saw him things seemed easier. They all seemed more hopeful than before.

She reached in her pouch and pulled out a Phoenix Down. She released the magical feather into the air and watched as it landed softly on Tidus's chest. Then, slowly, it began to disappear and his eyes started to flicker open.

Yuna whistled, so he would know that she was there, and that she needed him. She smiled as he glanced sleepily at her.

"Enjoy your rest?" she asked playfully.

"Not really," Tidus replied, looking at their surroundings. "Yuna, are we in the middle of the ocean?" he asked, confused.

"Mm hm" she answered, nodding her head. 'He's so cute when he's like this…' she thought. Well, wasn't he always?

"I'm taking our new 'friends' are responsible," Tidus stated, floating peacefully on his back.

"You always were the smart one," she said, grinning. Yuna grabbed his arm and began swimming again. "Now, c'mon. We've got to find the others, as well as dry land."

Tidus nodded and swam after her, but not before adding, "Did you really have to whistle if I was right there?"

Yuna looked at him, still smiling warmly. "I wanted you to come running…"

'Damn, it's cold!'

That's what Gippal was thinking as he opened his eye for the first time in what seemed like years. His entire body hurt. He was dizzy and confused from the fall, well, jump he had just taken. But mostly, he was just pissed.

He sat up and looked at where he had landed. Rocks, snow, grey skies, more snow, more rocks, there was only one place it could be: Mt. Gagazet.

'I was kinda' hopin' to land somewhere warmer…' he thought sarcastically to himself. He had to admit, though, things could be worse. He could have died pulling a crazy stunt like that. He wasn't that concerned with himself, though. He just hoped that _she_ would be all right…

_Gippal had seen the gun being pointed at her, but he couldn't help her now. He had already fired. She would never be able to move fast enough to dodge it._

"_Cred!" (naughty Gippal, swearing like that!) he whispered to himself as the bullet hit. She fell down only moments later, a look of innocence and confusion on her face._

_He reached her just barely too late. She was still alive, breathing weakly as he wrapped his arms around her._

"_Bmayca, vunkeja sa…" (please, forgive me) he pleaded as he did the only thing he could think of to save her. He ran and jumped off the edge of the ship…_

He began to search for her, hoping she wasn't dead. Her father would have blamed him. And he had the feeling his head was worth the life of Cid's daughter…

She was lying, sprawled out, only a few feet away. Her lips were trembling and blue, her breathing was unsteady, but she was alive, and that was all that mattered.

Gippal walked over to her, shaking his head. He shouldn't have been worried. He knew she would make it.

"You always were tougher than nails, Cid's Girl," he said as he knelt down next to her.

Gippal smiled at Rikku's sleeping form. If it weren't for the bullet wound, you could've thought she was just some girl who had fallen asleep a quarter of the way up a huge mountain. He found himself smiling. He wasn't sure why. He guessed it reminded him of when they were little, when he would protect her from life's little horrors. When they were still in love…

'Geez-us, Gippal, snap out of it! What were you thinking?' he yelled at himself mentally.

"It's just the cold. It's startin' to get to me…" he told himself, shaking off his flashback moment. "It's nothing…"

Having convinced himself that he was losing his mind, not falling for the hyperactive Al Bhed girl there next to him, he decided to get moving. He picked Rikku up and tried to carry her.

"Holy crap, you're heavy!" he exclaimed as he lifted her up a second time. "Remind me to tell you to lay off the pie when you wake up…" he trailed off.

'Wow, I'm giving an incredibly tiny, unconscious girl a hard time about being fat. How low am I?'

With that, he began walking, carrying the girl who would soon be known only as "The Al Bhed Princess".

Being unconscious is the only place in the world where it's completely black. Only certain things slip through the darkness. When these things pass by, the dreams begin. Mostly dreams of the past, to try and help you remember that there are people waiting for you. Memories of the things you care about. Memories of the things that caused you're blackness.

Rikku's dreams started the second Gippal picked her up.

_5-year-old Rikku was lying on a pile of sand, watching the clouds pass by as she waited for her dad to come home. Waiting with her was another Al Bhed. He was 6, and was also Rikku's best friend. He was staring at her instead of the clouds._

"_Qrah tu oui drehg drao'mm kad pylg?" (When do you think they'll get back?) she asked tiredly._

"_Cuuh, E ruba," he responded, "Oui ghuq E ryda qyedenk." (Soon, I hope… You know I hate waiting)_

_Rikku turned to the boy and smiled. Her blonde ponytail fell across the front of her face when she did._

"_Oui'na y hant," she said, cutely. (You're a nerd)_

_The boy stuck her tongue out at her. This caused her to laugh even more._

"_Gippal?" the girl asked._

"_Oayr?" he asked back. (Yeah?)_

"_Bnuseca sa dryd qa'mm pa vneahts vunajan…" she said quietly. (Promise me that we'll be friends forever…)_

"_Oib, vunajan," he said, grinning. ( Yup, forever) He took her hand in his. "E bnuseca…" (I promise…)_

_**What do you guys think my categories should be? Plz let me know, and keep on a' readin'!**_

**_Rayne-Shadow Goddess_**


	7. Where to Go

**_Am I the only one who's noticed how short my chapter actually are? I think I'll write a longer one soon... Oh, yeah, just to warn you, this chapter is also completely pointless fluff because my main character is unconsious, so don't kill me..._**

****

**Tales of an Al Bhed Princess**

**Chapter 6: Where to Go**

It took all of ten minutes for Gippal to realize he had no idea where he was going. There were so many different paths to choose from. Or maybe there was just one. He couldn't say for sure. He hadn't ever been to Mt. Gagazet. Not that he remembered, anyway. Plus, just looking down at all the twisting was giving him a headache. He was totally lost.

'I wish Cid's Girl would wake up,' he thought impatiently as he paced back and forth near the edge of a cliff. That sounds totally safe, now, doesn't it?

He had already tried to find a Phoenix Down, but Rikku didn't have any in her pouch. He didn't really feel like checking anywhere else she might hide items, afraid she'd wake up and throw him off the edge of a cliff. He didn't have any, either. He didn't see the need. He was almost never fighting, and when he was, he figured other people would have plenty of items.

'Guess she thinks the same way…' he thought as he checked yet again if Rikku was breathing. 'Of course she is,' he thought as she took another breath. That didn't stop him from being paranoid. If she died, who would he make fun of? Besides, her dad had quite a few reasons to run him over already, but if his daughter died…

Gippal sighed. In a weird way, he reminded himself of Paine just then. He was sitting there, trying to be strong and not let anyone see past his act. The only difference (besides gender) was that Paine was only hiding her past. Gippal was hiding everything.

"Well, Cid's Girl, which way should we go?" he mainly asked himself, but somehow found it more helpful to ask Rikku.

She stirred a little, causing her face to seem to be looking at the path in front of them. 'So further up the mountain…' he thought as he looked at the steep, climbing path. Gippal wanted to go with his gut instinct and head to the Calm Lands, but he resisted. That was where the attackers were headed. It was best not to run into them again…

"Well, then, up we go…" Gippal said un-enthusiastically. After about thirty steps he already hated himself for agreeing with someone who wasn't even awake. How crazy was he? 'I'm completely insane…' he thought to himself as he kept climbing. 'Didn't I learn my lesson about listening to her already? Even when she is awake, the girl's completely out of it!' he thought. After all, listening to her had cost him an eye…

"_You sure this is a good idea, Rikku?" 10-year-old Gippal yelled as he stared skeptically at the Cactuar ahead of him._

"_C'mon, you said you wanted one, so I found you one. Plus, this is a dare, so you have no choice. If you're gonna be too chicken to take it…"_

_Gippal glared at Rikku. She knew not to challenge him. He couldn't turn down a challenge. He couldn't turn her down, either._

"_If it's so safe then why are you waiting over there?" he asked. He answered challenge with a challenge._

"_I dare you to take it!" Rikku exclaimed. Gippal stared in awe at the 9-year-old in font of him. She was just too much to handle sometimes… That's probably why they were friends. He could be difficult, too._

"_I dare you to help me, then," he shouted. She gasped playfully, not at all surprised by his action. He laughed at her. _

"_What took you so long to ask, Gip?" she asked. She immediately ran to help her friend. Her two long braids trailed behind her. Her eyes grew brighter with excitement. When she reached him, she twirled around in her short, pleated, red dress and struck a pose._

"_You're so weird, Rixie Stik," he commented, shaking his head and staring at the ground._

"_Do you want my help?" Rikku asked, hands on hips._

"_Well, if you don't help me, you're chicken…"_

_She smiled. "Fine Gip, you win. Just stop calling me Rixie Stik. It's so nerdy…"_

_Gippal stared at her. "You always did say that," he said._

"_It was always true… now c'mon! Let's hunt some Cactuar!"_

_Gippal nodded, and then ran forward. Apparently, Cactuars don't feel safe when you do this._

"_Gip, look out!" Rikku screamed as the Cactuar hurled a load of needles at him. Most of them missed, and the others were just minor scratches, but the one in his eye was a different story._

_He didn't fall over. Instead, he grabbed the Cactuar by the arms and called Rikku over. She ran toward him, potion in hand. _

"_Gip, I'm so—"_

"_Hey, Rikku," Gippal interrupted, covering her mouth with his hand, "Truth or Dare…" _

"You never did answer me, Cid's Girl, but I always will know what you picked," Gippal said out of the blue. He stared at the path ahead. "I promised myself I'd never listen to you again, and here I am, eight years later, doing what you tell me, even though you're knocked out…"

He looked at her still sleeping body again. There was a smile on her lips. A smile that he hadn't seen in a long time. This was _his _smile, the one that only he had ever caused. Gippal couldn't help it, seeing that face, he felt himself smile too.

"Can you hear me?" he asked quietly. He got no response. 'She's not smiling because of me,' he thought to himself. 'She never was. She's smiling at what her weird little brain sees. She's smiling at the imaginary moogles and chocobos and cait siths that live in her crazy little mind. She only saw them when I was there, because she never paid attention… she never could hold still.'

Why should he care if it was him or not? It's not like he liked her. They were barely even friends anymore…

Gippal would never go through that again. All the time spent pretending it was all a dream, washed away with a simple visit from a girl he knew a long time ago. Funniest thing about it was that she hadn't even changed. She still acted like a kid; her hair was still always in braids. She was the same girl he used to love. Now she was just _a_ girl, a girl he loved to hate…

Those smiles, they were never because of him. They were _for_ him. They were Rikku's gift to him. She made sure he never knew. He never would, either, because neither of them would ever change.

In Rikku's eyes, that's the only way she saw it…

"Yuna, how long have we been swimming?" Tidus called. He was surprised that Yuna had managed to stay ahead of him the whole time. He was a strong swimmer from playing Blitzball, but he had no idea where she had gotten it from.

"About an hour… I think. Ugh, I don't know. I'm not even sure where we're headed…" Yuna shouted back. Today was supposed to be a good day for her. Now look at where she was…

"We're headed for Besaid," Tidus called back.

"How do you know that?" Yuna asked. She stopped again to catch her breath.

Tidus swam up beside her. "Well, for one thing, I can see the island…"

Yuna looked up. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me… How could I not see that?" she yelled, staring at the island ahead of her. She slapped her fist against the water in frustration.

"Calm down Yuna. You've had an… off day. Don't stress yourself out even more," Tidus said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Yuna pecked him on the cheek. "I love you…" she whispered happily. With that, she swam towards the land, back in normal Yuna mood.

"You really didn't see it?" Tidus teased.

Yuna pushed his head under the water and swam away. When he came back up, he could hear her shouting, "I'll beat you to the shore!"

Paine was walking up the beach when, out of nowhere, Brother ran up and hugged her.

"Dryhg Spira oui'na ymnekrd!" he shouted. (Thank Spira you're alright!)

"Get off me!" Paine yelled as she kneed him in the stomach. Brother whimpered in pain before backing off. Paine glared at him. "Since when do you have the right to touch me?"

"I don't. I'm sorry," he said pathetically to keep from being hit again.

Paine rolled her eyes. "Do you know where the others are?" she demanded bitterly.

"Buddy is getting Wakka and Lulu to help organize a search. We still can't find Yuna and Rikku," he informed.

"Where are Gippal and Tidus?" she asked.

"Who cares? No one likes them anyway…"

Paine slapped Brother across the face. "You don't deserve to be one of the safe ones…" she threatened before leaving him standing there alone.

"Being lost isn't hard!" Brother shouted after her. "You just have to know where you are and where you're going…"

Rikku smiled as year after year of her memories flashed through her mind. Even the bad things made her happy. Everything used to be so right, where was the wrong turn? She couldn't quite remember. Things were good now, but she had to build that on her own… It wasn't like it used to be.

Her frozen, unconscious body grew weaker with each moment of pain she brought herself. She didn't know where she was, but she knew one thing. She was driving in reverse, taking a turn to a happier ending…

**_Sorry, that one took a little longer. I had to go school shopping and go to the dentist... Not anything all that fun, so I didn't really have time to update. That reminds me, I'm starting school again soon, so my updates will be much slower... I'm very sorry. I don't wanna go back at all..._**

**_Ria Baalinda: I accidentally forgot you last time! I'm so sorry. Thanx 4 helping me w/ the Al Bhed. I fixed it now. I was spacing out and 4got 2 even change the "c" at all... Glad you caught that. I'm happy you like the story._**

**_Kingleby: I'm so glad you like it! I still didn't review yours... but I will! Anyway, thanx 4 your opinion about the categories. I wasn't sure, due to my current lack of fluff, but now I have some..._**

_**Jinx: You think I didn't tell him that? You know, everytime you review, I end up posting another chapter... I don't know why that keeps happening. This time it was an accident. Oh well, I'm very. VERY glad you like it... If you didn't it would be your head. j/k . Of course you like Gippal... He's the coolest!**_**_home-made smiley_**->U

**_ Rayne-Shadow Goddess_**


	8. Over the Edge

**_WOOT! Finally, I updated. I'm sorry that took forever! I started school, got sick, my computer broke, my friend's mom died of cancer... long story... Anyways, here's the chappie, for all you lovely fans. YOU ROCK!_**

**Tales of an Al Bhed Princess**

**Chapter 7: Over the Edge**

Gippal's steps got heavier and heavier the higher up he climbed. He was growing very tired, and he really didn't want to pass out from exhaustion. Yet, something was telling him to keep going. Probably the fact that he didn't want to be stuck on that icicle of a mountain any longer kept him going.

"I just had to go to your stupid party… Now look at this, I'm stuck on a mountain, in the snow, with an unconscious, surprisingly heavy chick. Plus, I had to jump off an airship that was in flight because it was under attack. I'm gonna call this the worst day of my life. Ya' know what, Cid's girl? I think you're a disaster magnet. I really do. I don't see how you saved the world twice. Really, I don't."

Rikku, still being unconscious, had no idea that Gippal was rambling on about basically nothing. He looked at her and frowned. "Are you ever gonna wake up? I mean, it's not like I miss being hit when I make fun of you, but seriously, you've been out for more than an hour."

'She got shot, you moron…' he thought to himself.

"For crying out loud, I'm arguing with myself _and _an unconscious person. I've freckin' lost it… I've totally FRECKIN' LOST IT!" Gippal yelled in frustration.

At that very moment a Killer Hound rounded a nearby corner, growling menacingly. Hunger burned in its eyes, drool hung from its bared fangs.

"Oh come off it…" Gippal spoke each word with pure distain. "You're kidding me, right?" He stared at Rikku, still dozing away like nothing was wrong. She was still smiling blankly, completely unaware. "You… are… a disaster…magnet…if there ever was one…" Gippal complained under his breath.

The Killer Hound came in closer, taking smooth, precise steps, much like the hunter it was. Gippal had no way to defend himself. He backed away a little, trying to think of a plan. 'I could use Cid's Girl as a weapon….' Yeah, that's ever gonna happen…

"Hey Fido," Gippal shouted. The beast's face was taken over by a look of confusion. It stopped stalking its prey momentarily. 'Bingo.'

"Yeah, you," he continued, his voice sounding both brave and sarcastic. "Why ya' gotta be tryin' to eat me and my buddy? I mean, what did we ever do to you?"

The hound had begun to close in again, but slower, as he was confused as to why this fool was talking to him. Fiends don't speak English. The fiend howled and tackled Gippal with a powerful leap.

Gippal, however, was expecting this. Just as the creature struck, he turned his back to it. As he fell, he would be able to protect Rikku that way. Thinking quickly he picked up a small rock and smashed it against the canine's face. It yelped in pain as it was thrown from Gippal's body. He picked up Rikku and began to run.

Soon after, he heard the sound of fast, soft footsteps behind them. He spun around to see the Killer Hound charging him. On a reflex, he threw the rock at the fiend. When it struck the fiends head, there was a shirt cry, then the fiend was knocked out.

"That's right! Never mess with Gippal the Amazing One! You stupid dog, you suck at hunting." With that (followed by a short victory dance) Gippal walked away, secretly afraid that that dog had some nearby friends…

* * *

"YYYUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNAAAAAAA!"

As Yuna and Tidus trudged onto the beach, that was the sound they were greeted with. Brother had begun to run towards his beloved cousin, arms outstretched, but he was stopped by Paine pulling back on his suspenders.

"You do know that she's your cousin… right?" Paine asked him in disgust.

"Yeeeessss," he replied, beaming.

Paine sighed. "You… are so hopeless. Not to mention idiotic and disturbing."

"So, it's wrong to love your cousins now?" Brother asked, genuinely confused.

"In your case, yes. Very, very much so." With that, Paine let go of Brother and walked toward the slowly approaching couple. She couldn't help but smile slightly when she saw them.

"Enjoy your swim?" she asked sarcastically. Yuna shoved her playfully. What she really wanted to do was hug Paine, but that wasn't really Paine's thing.

"What about you? Have fun with my cousin?" she shot back. Paine scowled.

"That's not even funny… He's the biggest idiot I've ever seen…" As Paine said this, Yuna glanced at that very idiot, who was now jumping up and down, waving frantically.

"So, where are the others?" Tidus asked, shaking the water out of one of his shoes.

"Well, Buddy is back in the village, forming a search party for you guys, which I guess we should cancel…" Yuna smiled at Paine's words. She wondered how she managed to stay so relaxed. "And the rest of us are right here…"

"Where's Rikku?" Yuna asked, her smile faltering.

"We… uh… we couldn't find her anywhere…" Paine stared down at the sand. She knew Yuna wouldn't be happy about the fact that her cousin (Paine assumed her _favorite _cousin) was still missing.

Yuna's smile faded completely. "Well, I've got something to tell you," she said, remembering the man who threw her off the ship. "Get everyone together. We need to have a meeting."

* * *

Gippal had been hiking upward for well over 2 hours now. He was tired and irritable. In fact, the littlest, strangest things would bother him. For example, why was it that the higher he climbed, the less snow there was? Wasn't that a little backwards? And why were there so many fiends? It was like every time he ran away from one battle, there was another monster five feet away.

Gippal had been rambling about things like that for a while now. He kept on looking down at Rikku, half the time he was glaring, the other half he was wondering if she would live until he got help. All the time he was complaining.

"Here's one for ya' Cid's Girl. Why are we all alone up here? I mean, someone's supposed to be here. Who was it…? Hypello…? Shoopufs…? Al Bhed…? wait… ARGH!" Gippal kicked the air in front of him. This resulted in a loss of his balance and he fell over backwards, Rikku landing right on top of him.

"AH! YEVON, NO!" he shouted as he pushed her off of him. She was still smiling away. "Is that smile, like, frozen to your face, or something? Why is it there, Cid's Girl? What about this situation is good? What about it is happy?"

Gippal scooped her up again, and started walking along the path. "You wouldn't be smiling if you knew what was happening. You just… wouldn't…"

He had to come up with a plan to help her. After all, she would do the same for him. 'Didn't someone say there was a hot spring up here?' he thought. 'Look, she's already wearing a bathing suit and everything…'

"Cid's Girl, I gotta ask, what's with that outfit? I mean, you're all up in the snow and crap like that all the time… and you're in a bikini. That's crazy… It really is… Sure, you've got a scarf, but how helpful is it?" 'She's got to be freezing…'

Gippal sighed and pulled off his overcoat. Never in his life had he been so thankful for undershirts. "Just… don't get it dirty… You'll ruin the rest of my day…"

So, he decided he would be taking her to the hot springs. The only problem that he could think of was that her clothes would be all wet, so she'd probably freeze after word. And he was not going to use the obvious solution to that problem. He'd figure it out later…

Meanwhile, in Rikku's dreams…

_Thirteen years old. Rikku was thirteen years old when her family found out she and Gippal where more than just friends. That was also when they decided that they didn't like Gippal. _

_She remembered the night she snuck out to see him. She had done it many times before. She was a great thief all ready, so no one had ever caught her. This time was different._

_She met him on the bank of the oasis, greeting him with a warm hug. _

_"How ya' been, Rikku?" he asked._

_"Over worked, I'm tired of building machine and improving Home's defenses for when Sin comes back," she replied. "I just wanna have some fun."_

_"I feel ya'," he said, smiling. He put his arm around her shoulders. "So, let's go have some fun." Gippal raised his eyebrows at her, smiling. She laughed._

_"What did ya' have in mind?"_

_"Well…" he said, pretending to think, when suddenly he picked her up and threw her into the water in front of them. Rikku shouted before hitting the water. There was a big splash as she went under._

_When she poked her head back up, she found Gippal laughing. She smiled. "You can be really mean, you know that?"_

_"But ya' love me anyways…" he commented as she swam closer. When she reached the surface, she cupped his face in her hands. _

_"Yeah, well, maybe I need a new boyfriend…"_

_"You think anyone else could handle dating you?" he asked. He was about to kiss her when they heard a voice._

_"Stay away from my sister!" Brother shouted from behind them. They both jumped in shock. _

_Brother ran up and pulled her away from him. "I mean it, Gippal, when I tell my dad…"_

_After that, when she snuck out to see him, he started calling her Cid's Girl, because her over protective father would almost always catch her…_

**_Well... tada! One more down, a countless number to go... As long as the fans are happy, then it's all good..._**

**_Icewolf9- I'm glad you like. I thought Gippal should be funny, so I'm glad that worked out. Too much seriousness would ruin it, don'tcha' think?_**

**_Fullmetal Fool- Yay! A new fan! So happy you were pleased! Hoping not to disapoint you in the future._**

**_Pod Sara- Another new fan! I'm really having fun with this. I thought that Vidina should be a brat for the comic relief effort. I'm glad you like the story. I know, I saw some of the typos when I was re-reading it. I'll go back and fix them when I feel less lazy, I promise._**

**_Shadray- Hey, you're back! Thanks for the review. I know I've said this alot already, but I'm so gald you like it! Also, thanks for wishing me luck. I was kinda begining to run low on connecting ideas._**

**_Kingleby- Will I ever remember to review your story? Well, I'm gad you didn't abandon me over it. Glad you like the funny. Like I said, I don't want it to be too serious. Especially not Gippal, who is losing his mind. (as if you couldn't tell...)_**

**_Rayne Shadow Goddess_**


	9. Open

**_Wow, after like 3 months, my triumphant return. Sorry it took so long guys. School has been a serious pain recently. Also, I was losing inspiration, but here goes. Anyway, I'm actaully gunna finish this story, in case you thought I gave up. Here's the next Chapter._ **

**Tales of an Al Bhed Princess**

**Chapter 8: Open **

'Where am I going?' Gippal thought to himself as he climbed higher and higher up the mountain. He was getting seriously tired. Carrying Rikku, walking up hill, and being totally lost is never a good combination on your nerves… He had decided that after this, he was never walking again. Ever.

"WHERE AM I GOING?" he verbalized his thoughts in frustration.

There were at least ten fiends on his trail by now, and he was seriously hating this situation. Gippal never knew he could run so fast, even carrying something heavy like a person. 'Poochies, ghosties, and eyes, oh my!' he thought sarcastically, taking a sliding turn around a corner. 'How many fiends, how much farther?' He was too busy keeping speed to feel the panic of nearly falling over. Just then the path ahead disappeared into nothing but sky.

"Are you serious? What did I do to deserve this?" Gippal called in anger. He glared at Rikku, who was completely unaware of the situation. "I blame you for this, Cid's Girl. I think that you are my unlucky charm…"

'_Calm down…' _Gippal's voice of reasoning commanded. _'If you freak, both you **and** the girl die.' _Gippal scowled to himself. He was glad for the help, but why did that voice have to be so damned smart? It was taking most of what was left of his hope. _'Think of your options now, argue with yourself later. Who knows? Maybe that will make Rikku laugh, and you know you miss that sound. Even her laughing at you would be better than not hearing it at—'_

'—Shut-up' He was getting seriously mad now, we're talking near hysteria, and that little voice was seriously no help at all. 'If I live through this, I'm gonna need therapy. Hours and hours of therapy…' Gippal tried to look at his surroundings and find out what to do, but his main focus was on the fact that he was royally screwed.

Gippal noticed a small ledge about two meters above where he stood. This sparked a few ideas in Gippal's mind. 'Well, it's not like I have to hurry to find out…' he thought to himself. At that moment the hungry howls of Killer Hounds and blood-thirsty Wraiths filled the air. 'Or not…' How many times had he made a bad choice today? 'Well, first off, I didn't bring a weapon to the party… actually, my first mistake was _going _to that party. Note to self: Gullwing shindigs are very bad news.'

This was so not the time for this. Gippal once again took in his surroundings and tried to come up with a plan. He came up with the following list:

1) Get a running start and try to jump to the ledge while carrying Rikku.

2) Jump off the edge of the cliff and end his misery.

3) Leave Rikku behind and save himself.

4) Try to fight off however many fiends there were.

5) Actually attempt to throw Rikku, and then jump after her.

6) Let the fiends eat them both.

7) Pee his pants.

Only two of those options seemed reasonable, in this case meaning not ending in someone's death or wetting themselves. Seriously, it was a wonder Gippal actually considered that a plan. Of those two, the second seemed far more probable.

He began to swing the Al-Bhed girl back and forth in his arms, gradually gaining momentum. "Hey, listen Cid's Girl, I'm gonna throw you. Now, if you fall thousands of feet to your death, just know that it's not really my fault, and that I was trying to save you from becoming puppy chow. Or… whatever else chow, for that matter. So, if you end up on the Farplane anytime soon, know that I'm sorry, and don't try to plot revenge against me."

Feeling satisfied both with the amount of force he'd gained as well as his apology (if you could call it that), Gippal tossed Rikku over the wide gap in front of them. She land in a skidding roll and nearly fell over the far edge. One of her arms hung over the side and swayed slightly. 'Lucky you…' he thought with both sarcasm and relief. He started to back up to get a running start---

---and was suddenly aware that he could here running footsteps kicking up snow. Instinctively, he ran toward the rock wall formed by a higher cliff. He spun around just in time to see a wolf-like creature turn toward him and growl. He kept his back pressed to the wall and began to inch away. Suddenly a searing pain flowed through Gippal's arm. He let out a wordless cry of discomfort and clutched his newly found cuts. A Wraith hovered over him grinning cruelly, blood dripping from its skeletal claws. The creature swung for him again, but Gippal ducked under it and tried to tackle the thing. For a moment all he felt was fog, then he was struggling to a stop mere inches from the edge off the cliff. He'd gone right through it!

'I'm far enough back,' he thought restlessly as he charged toward the ledge. A powerful force hit him as he ran forward. Gippal fell flat on his back, momentarily losing his breath. His head cracked against the rock under the snow. His vision blurred, but he was still able to see that the Killer Hound had tackled him and was now attempting to eat his face.

Just as the beast was about to dig its teeth into Gippal's throat, he tensed his arms and kept the thing as far away as he could. He struggled against the dog's weight until it hit him that he could just throw the thing off. 'Duh,' he managed to scold through his panic. He kicked it as hard as he could in the chest. It yelped and flew backward off of him. He sprang to his feet and sprinted to his escape.

He new seconds later the thing was following him. He dove to the ground and rolled left, then watched as the Hound tensed itself to stop, instead plummeted to its death howling in despair.

'For a second there I thought I wasn't gonna make it past eighteen.' Gippal thought emotionlessly. Then he remembered he still wasn't alone. He whipped his head around as he scrambled to his feet. Nothing. Confused but satisfied, Gippal took a few deep breaths and turned. His eyes widened as he saw the Wraith floating above Rikku, reaching out toward her fragile neck. Gippal sprinted forward and leaped as far as he could, hit the ground in an ungraceful roll seconds later. 'Come on Cid's Girl, wake up and help me here!' he thought desperately as he prepared himself for whatever was going to happen next…

* * *

"You guys are supposed to be professionals, and you can't even capture one bratty teenage GIRL? Who do you think you are, taking my Gil and not delivering?" 

The seven assassins in the room looked away from there Machina, spheres, and video screens and stared at the tall man in the high-backed leather chair. He glared at them with his crystal blue eyes from behind his dark sunglasses. He had no idea why he insisted on calling the Princess a bratty teenager, since he was only nineteen himself, but it seemed to irritate his pawns, which was just what he wanted.

He smiled to himself as the assassins gave him dirty looks and returned to their work. 'That's all you are, pawns. Once you bring me what my employer wants, I'll be free to dispose of you all. No more overly muscled men, no more expert shooters, no more beautiful science expert, no more covert ops team, nothing. You'll all be dead in seconds.' The thought pleased him deeply. He imagined the look on all there stupid faces when they realized it was over. His smile grew.

"I think I found her, sir," the girl said. She pushed her stark-black hair out of her face and tapped the screen in front of her. The man pushed himself out of his chair and looked at the screen over her shoulder. According to this, the Princess was somewhere on Mount Gagazet. There was someone with her, he saw, and they were moving. Fast.

"Good job, Ukani," he said in his rich, deep tone. "You three," he snapped loudly, pointing at the buff, dark skinned warrior, the skinny, wild-eyed gun expert, and the self-assured leader, "go with Ukani here and bring me back that woman."

"What about her little friend there?" asked the thin one.

"I think that one might be open for discussion…" said the leader sarcastically. The man rolled his eyes.

"Kill him."

The thin man smiled and pulled out his weapon. "You got it," he said roughly. The four of them left the room with an air of arrogance that made the man impatient of the day that they would die. The only thing he regretted was that when he destroyed the idiots, he would also have to destroy Ukani, who was smart, beautiful, and deadly.

'What a shame…' he thought as he sat back down. 'What a shame indeed.'

* * *

After barely escaping the encounter with Evil Wraith the Unfriendly Ghost, jumping several more gorges and ditches, and finally allowing himself to have an emotional breakdown (complete with floor pounding hysterics), Gippal found the hot springs. All together his little adventure had taken about three hours. Not bad, in his mind, since he knew his way around the bottom of the ocean better than he knew his way around here. 

He had laid Rikku down in front of him, unwilling to put her in the water. He did NOT want to strip her down, but he also didn't want to put her in there with her clothes either, because then they'd be wet, and when he took her out she would freeze. He just stared at her for a while, then sighed, completely unsure of what to do.

Right then an almost silent cry escaped her lips. Gippal looked at her with concern as she screeched again, louder this time. "Cid's Girl…?" he asked cautiously. Rikku twitched suddenly, turning onto her right side. "Cid's Girl?" Gippal asked again, sounding firmer this time. He knelt down beside her just as she opened her mouth and screamed.

* * *

"_Forget everything about me. I can't exist anymore. I'm sorry, I can't explain why, but you have to…"_

_Rikku was crying, the rain hitting her face and adding to the moisture there. Her emerald eyes danced, but not with excitement like normal, they danced with sadness. "Please…no…" was all she could manage to say._

"_Come on, don't cry over me. I'm not worth that." Rikku stared at the sand, tears blurring her vision. She heard more thunder crash as blue lightning flickered and brightened the night. She could feel his arms around her now, trying to comfort her,_

"…_I love you though… I love you…"_

"_I know, but trust me; you'd be in too much danger if I stayed."_

"_I'm not afraid of danger. Please, don't leave again."_

"_Last time you left too…" he protested, still holding her. "This is serious though. I've gotta leave. If I'm lucky, I'll see you again."

* * *

_

Suddenly Rikku could feel heaviness in her body, like she had just been grounded. She heard herself screaming. She felt a horrible pain just below her ribs. Her screaming grew louder. Tears streamed down her face. Her eyes shot open and she sat up quickly. She ended up staring straight at the confused expression of a tan teenager with short, spiky blonde hair a single gleaming green eye. 'Gippal'

"Um, you okay there Cid's Girl?" he asked. Suddenly he was smiling, and in just seconds, he was laughing. Feeling incredible anger where just seconds ago was great joy, Rikku kicked Gippal in the shin.

"You're a total jerk, you know that?" she asked, incredulous.

"That's just special for you," he replied. He was still smiling despite the fact that a bruise was already forming on his leg. "Look, we need some potions, badly. Especially you, since you got shot."

"What are you…" she thought about the pain she felt, all of the bruises and the wound- 'bullet wound' she reminded herself- and she realized that this was because of those men on the Celsius. "Yevon!" she screamed suddenly. It was a miracle they weren't dead. "Where are the others?"

"How should I know?" Gippal asked, crossing his arms behind his head and laying down. She was about to punch him in the gut this time, but he caught her hand before the hit connected. "Listen, I just dragged you all the way up here, through fiends, fatigue, and craving to eat, and I don't think it would be right for you to hit me."

Rikku glared hard at him and realized something different. "Where's your freckin' shirt? Geez, Gippal, no one wants to see that!"

"I gave it to you, since your dumb ass was in the snow in a bikini!" he snapped back. "And, just to let you know, your total whacko fruit-loop if you DON'T want to see this," he said, motioning at his chest.

Rikku turned her head and tried like mad not to blush. She took off his shirt and handed it to him without a word.

Gippal sighed. "Look, I brought you up here so you could get warmed up—" he was cut off by Rikku's bewildered look. "—not like that!" Gippal exclaimed, waving his hands. "Wow, you have a sick mind… I meant in the hot springs."

"You were gonna strip me down?" she asked, still in complete shock.

"NO! I, well, I don't know what I was gonna do, but it was NOT going to be that! Man, You've been hanging out with your brother too much."

Rikku kept her focus on a rock so that she wouldn't look at Gippal. She felt heat in her cheeks, and she wanted it to stop.

"You don't secretly _want_ me to strip you down, do you?" Gippal asked, raising his eyebrows.

"HELL NO!" she shouted, kicking him again.

"Ow… You obviously missed the sarcasm there…"

"Whatever. I'm gonna get in the springs now. And don't you dare look, or it'll be you r other eye, you hear me!"

"Loud and clear, Cid's Girl." Gippal said, relaxing more in his position.

Rikku got up slowly and walked toward the springs. 'That Gippal…' she thought hopelessly. She grinned; this was the most open she'd felt in the past few months, and it was with someone she could hardly stand. 'Just a typical day in the life of Rikku…' she thought, wondering if her life would ever be normal.

_**Presto! One more down, many (MANY!) more to go. Hope you can bare woth me that long. -**___

**_Duckie: I'm glad you liked it (if your still out there!) Sorry it took so freckin' long, again. _**

**_IceWolf9: So glad I continue to please! Yes, Gippal gets pretty engulfed in complaining to himself, but now he has someone else to complain to... let's see where this leads. Also, thanx for the concern. Everything's pretty much normal now, so I should update somewhat more often. Also, I'm glad you stuck with me. Thanx again!_**

**_doodle:I DID keep it up...eventually. Thanx for being a fan!_**

**_Kingleby: It's good to know I'm loved and not left all alone! Now he can't talk to unconsious Rikku, but she'll argue back. This'll be fun... evil laughterAnyway, I wanna thank you for stickin' with me. You're the best!_**

**_If you guys have any ideas for an argument you want to see, or anything like that, let me know, and I'll see what I can do!_**

****


End file.
